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Carter Burwell

Latest Release

For True Grit—Joel and Ethan Coen's 2010 film adaptation of the 1968 Charles Portis novel, starring Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, and Matt Damon—composer Carter Burwell looked to 19th-century hymns as the backbone to his score. The Los Angeles Times says it works "equally well for big-screen vistas and solitary contemplation." Iris DeMent's performance of the hymn "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms," featured on the film's closing credits, is included as a digital bonus track.

News

True Grit—Joel and Ethan Coen's 2010 film adaptation of the 1968 Charles Portis novel, starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper, and Hailee Steinfeld—is out now on Blu-Ray and DVD. For the film's soundtrack, available on Nonesuch, composer Carter Burwell looked to 19th-century hymns for inspiration. The Los Angeles Times says the score works "equally well for big-screen vistas and solitary contemplation."

Carter Burwell and his score to the Coen brothers film True Grit are featured on NPR's All Things Considered. Burwell spoke with guest host Linda Wertheimer about the score and why it was deemed ineligible for an Academy Award, namely its roots in earlier hymns, a source of inspiration Burwell says he found in the 1968 Charles Portis novel on which the film is based. Wertheimer says: "We liked it."

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About Carter Burwell

After graduating from Harvard, Carter Burwell became Chief Computer Scientist at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, James Watson’s biology lab in Long Island before studying computer animation at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). He eventually became Director of Digital Sound research at NYIT, and was working in this regard when he was asked by Joel and Ethan Coen to write the music to their film Blood Simple.

He has since scored a number of feature films, including Adaptation, Barton Fink, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Before Night Falls, Being John Malkovich, Burn After Reading, Conspiracy Theory, Fargo, Gods and Monsters, Howl,The Hudsucker Proxy, Intolerable Cruelty, The Kids Are All Right, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Miller’s Crossing, Rob Roy, The Spanish Prisoner, Three Kings, Twilight, and Where the Wild Things Are, while teaching and continuing to compose dance (The Return of Lot’s Wife), theater (Cara Lucia, Theater of the New Ear), and other work.

Carter Burwell

Tour

Carter Burwell first began working with Joel and Ethen Coen on their film Blood Simple and has gone on to score a number of feature films, including True Grit, Adaptation, Barton Fink, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Before Night Falls, Being John Malkovich, Burn After Reading, Conspiracy Theory, Fargo, Gods and Monsters, Howl,The Hudsucker Proxy, Intolerable Cruelty, The Kids Are All Right, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Miller’s Crossing, Rob Roy, The Spanish Prisoner, Three Kings, Twilight, and Where the Wild Things Are, while teaching and continuing to compose dance, theater, and other work.

Biography:

After graduating from Harvard, Carter Burwell became Chief Computer Scientist at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, James Watson’s biology lab in Long Island before studying computer animation at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). He eventually became Director of Digital Sound research at NYIT, and was working in this regard when he was asked by Joel and Ethan Coen to write the music to their film Blood Simple.

He has since scored a number of feature films, including Adaptation, Barton Fink, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Before Night Falls, Being John Malkovich, Burn After Reading, Conspiracy Theory, Fargo, Gods and Monsters, Howl,The Hudsucker Proxy, Intolerable Cruelty, The Kids Are All Right, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Miller’s Crossing, Rob Roy, The Spanish Prisoner, Three Kings, Twilight, and Where the Wild Things Are, while teaching and continuing to compose dance (The Return of Lot’s Wife), theater (Cara Lucia, Theater of the New Ear), and other work.

By submitting my information above, I acknowledge that I have reviewed and agreed to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and I agree to receive updates and marketing messages from time to time from Nonesuch and its affiliates.

By submitting my information above, I acknowledge that I have reviewed and agreed to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and I agree to receive updates and marketing messages from time to time from Nonesuch and its affiliates.

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By submitting my information above, I acknowledge that I have reviewed and agreed to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and I agree to receive updates and marketing messages from time to time from Nonesuch and its affiliates.

By submitting my information above, I acknowledge that I have reviewed and agreed to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and I agree to receive updates and marketing messages from time to time from Nonesuch and its affiliates.